Oscar Piastri's treatment by McLaren became a shock subject during the Australian Senate following the Qatar Grand Prix.
Piastri was left a 'broken' man after he saw victory thrown away by his McLaren team in Lusail with championship rival Max Verstappen leapfrogging him in the F1 standings.
It wasn't a total disaster for the Aussie, with teammate Lando Norris coming home in fourth meaning all three title contenders remain in the fight heading to Abu Dhabi.
Following the race, Piastri hit out at the team's strategy after failing to pit during the lap seven safety car cost him the win.
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"Clearly we didn't get it right tonight," Piastri said after the chequered flag.
"I drove the best race that I could and as fast as I could. There was nothing left out there.
"I think in hindsight it's pretty obvious what we would have done, but I'm sure we'll discuss it as a team," he added.
Australian MPs accuse McLaren of bias
With Piastri hoping to become the first Australian F1 champion since Alan Jones in 1980, tensions are high down under with 'bias' claims even being made in Senate.
On Monday, Senator Canavan, asked transport department officials for their opinion on Piastri's treatment by McLaren.
"Look it’s been a bit of a frustrating night for some Australians," he began.
“I don’t know who to ask this to, but you deal with transport, cars.
“So, do you think McLaren’s biased against Oscar Piastri and costing him the World Championship?”
After a ripple of laughter, transport secretary Jim Betts replied: “You’re asking me for an opinion there.”
“Good answer,” Senator Canavan said, before pointing the question to Regional Affairs Assistant Minister Anthony Chisholm.
“I definitely think he’s copped some raw decisions this year,” Senator Chisholm said.
“As someone with a daughter who has become obsessed with F1, she’ll be very upset when she gets up this morning," he added.
These frustrations are not exclusively linked to the Qatar GP, with many media outlets claiming McLaren have favoured Norris throughout the season.
One of the most prominent controversies came in Monza, where Piastri was asked to give up track position to Norris after the Brit suffered a slow pitstop.
Speaking weeks after the incident, Piastri admitted his team's decision was the catalyst for his change in fortunes after leading the majority of the 2025 season.
"I think there was kind of some things in the lead-up, let's say, that were maybe not the most helpful and then things that happened on the weekend," he said via F1 Beyond the Grid.
Topics: Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Lando Norris, Motorsport
Tom Jenkins